Your Daily Motivation (Oct 24th, 2025)

Hey, it’s Matt with The Addiction Newsletter.

Here’s what’s inside today:

Let’s get started.

If you want some extra accountability from me, feel free to reply this newsletter with how many days it has been.

I read every single reply and do my best to reply to them. I am always here for you.

(Example: “Hey Matt, it’s been 33 days since I have used X”)

Days Since Last Use: 334

Thought: I laughed today—really laughed—at something small and stupid. And then it hit me: I wasn't performing joy or faking it to convince someone I'm okay. It was just there, natural and light. For so long, every emotion felt like it was drowning under the weight of everything else. But now? Sometimes happiness just shows up uninvited, and I get to keep it. That's what recovery gave me back—the ability to feel things without them being swallowed by the noise.

Here's something that sounds impossible until you see it clearly: you're not being held captive by addiction. You're volunteering to stay in a cell where the door was never locked.

Every day, the addiction tells you the same story: "You can't handle life without me. You're not strong enough. You need me to cope." And because you've heard it so many times, you believe it. You think the substance is holding you together, when really, it's the only thing breaking you apart.

Think about it this way. Imagine someone convinced you that you needed to wear heavy chains to walk properly. At first, the chains hurt. They're uncomfortable and awkward. But over time, you get used to them. You even start to think they're helping you balance. When someone suggests taking them off, you panic. "But I need these! I can't walk without them!"

That's the con. The chains were never helping you. They were only making everything harder. But because you got used to carrying the weight, you started to believe it was part of you.

The substance doesn't give you confidence, it steals your natural confidence and sells it back to you in doses. It doesn't help you relax, it creates the anxiety that makes relaxation impossible. It doesn't make social situations easier, it makes you forget how to be yourself without a chemical crutch.

You were whole before this started. You had everything you needed. The addiction didn't add anything, it only convinced you that something was missing.

And here's the beautiful part: when you finally see through the illusion, the fear disappears. You stop thinking, "How will I survive without it?" and start thinking, "Why did I ever think I needed that?"

It's not about willpower. It's not about white-knuckling your way through cravings. It's about seeing clearly that you're not giving up anything valuable. You're escaping something that's been draining you.

Non-users aren't suffering because they don't use. They're not sitting around wishing they could. They're just living, freely, without even thinking about it. That's not deprivation, that's normal. That's what you get back.

The prison was always an illusion. The door was always open. You just had to stop believing the voice that said you needed to stay inside.

Real freedom isn't fighting the urge every day. Real freedom is waking up and realizing the urge is gone, because you finally see the truth: you never needed it at all.

You're not weak for struggling. You're not broken for being trapped. You were just fooled by a very convincing lie.

Now you know better. And knowing better changes everything.

If you notice yourself feeling anxious or restless, don't immediately try to fix it or push it away. Just acknowledge it: "Oh, there's that feeling." Remember, discomfort is temporary and it passes on its own—it always has, it always will.

You don't need to manage every uncomfortable moment anymore. You just need to let it be there, knowing it will fade naturally, just like clouds moving across the sky.

Here is the win of the day for one of our readers. I will keep most of the information anonymous:

"Yesterday I was at a family dinner, and someone offered me a drink without thinking. Old me would've panicked, felt tempted, or gotten defensive. Instead, I just said 'No thanks, I'm good' and kept talking like it was nothing. Because it was nothing. The moment passed in two seconds, and I realized: I'm not fighting anymore. I'm just living."

(Note: If you have a win, no matter how large, or how small, reply to this email and I'll include it in the future)

I refer thousands of people every month to detox and treatment centers across the United States. Depending on if you have insurance and what type, a lot of the time you can get treatment completely free. If not, it does cost money unfortunately.

If you’d like to use this free service, click below.

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Disclaimer

This newsletter is for educational and motivational purposes only. It is not medical advice or a substitute for professional treatment. If you’re in crisis or need immediate help, please contact your local emergency services or the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)